What do you say?
by crankyXwhenXprovoked
Summary: Three moments in Nick's life where you just don't have all the answers


The bright green eyes of the young black haired child looked around the world from the front seat, that he was finally able to sit in. Holding on to the window, his small fingers leaving small smudges on the glass, he watched the buildings pass by. The car started slowing down a little then came to a full stop. The building they were in front of wasn't very big and looked liked it had black curtains over the windows. Nick wasn't sure what the other words were that were on the sign's but he did recognize the 3 X's in a row.

"Daddy?" Nick said, in a slight lisp since his front tooth was starting to get loose.

"Yea Nicky?" His dad asked, looking at him.

"What are all those X's for?" Nick asked pointing at the building.

His fathers eyes, so much like his son's, looked at the building and his eyes widened lightly. To anyone that could read, the adult book store sign would be enough to tell exactly what the X's meant. As a horn honked behind him he jumped lightly and realized that the light had turned green.

"You know buddy, your mom was talking about getting you your own football to practice with in the back yard,"

"Really daddy?" Nick said excitedly, forgetting all about the store as they drove away from it.

"Really, so why don't we go down to the toy store and pick one up, how does that sound?"

"Great," Nick smiled.

The sound of his ringtone and the flashing screen alerted a twenty two year old Nick to his phone going off. Groaning he reached over and picked up the small device and looked a second at the name. Seeing it was his seventeen year old sister he hit the answer button and put it up to his ear.

"What's up, Kriss?"

A small sniffle and a hiccup sounded on the other end before his sister voice was heard. "Nick?"

Nick sat straight up in bed, his she sounded drunk off her ass. "Yea, what's wrong?"

"Can you come get me?"

"Yea, where are you?"

"Becky's,"

"I'll be right there, be waiting out side for me ok?"

"Kay,"

As the call ended she tossed the phone on the bed and stripped off his pajama pants and grabbed a pair of jeans. After they were on he grabbed a black shirt and slipped that on as well, along with a pair of sneakers, not bothering with socks. Grabbing his phone he headed into the living room, snagging his keys and heading out of the apartment.

It was a short drive to her friends house and as soon as he got there, he spotted her on the front porch. She was crying as he approached her and helped her up and to his car. Once they were in his car, he rolled the window on her side down as she rested her head on the seat belt.

"Don't take me home," She said, shaking slightly.

"I'm not,"

"Thank you Nick," She said, slipping her hand in his.

He just nodded not really knowing what else to really say. After they got to his apartment, he helped her in and onto the couch, where he got her set up with a bucket and a glass of water. Nick sent a quick text to their mom letting her know that he had picked her up and she was ok. Then he sat and rubbed her back until she fell asleep and only then did he go back to bed himself.

For the past hour every breath that Ellis had been taking was becoming weaker than the last. Nick never left his side anymore, just sat there and changed his bandages that were around his chest and stomach. The young mechanic never did have the best luck when it came to the special infected, but this was the one that took the cake, so to speak.

He had shoved Nick out of the way of an oncoming charger and was smacked right into a witch. The other three had gotten the skinny bitch away from him, but only after she had made his insides, near outsides. Ellis might have had somewhat of a chance if not for the tank that came right before the safe house. It was a rough fight and Ellis had gotten most of the worst of it, being near shattered.

When they got him into the safe room, they got a look at just how bad he truly was and it nearly killed Nick. He still had the witch wounds that they had patched up first, but they were deeper than what three people in the field could do. His right leg was broken in three different places and it almost looked like the right side of his pelvic bone was also.

"Nick," Ellis said, his words bubbling lightly out of his lips.

"Yea Ellis," Nick moved closer to him, straining to hear him.

"Yew know my daddy always told me that love would find yew in the strangest of places and times and damned if he wasn't right," Ellis tried to chuckle, only coughing more than the noise he was going for.

"Did he now?" Nick said, brushing Ellis's hair off his face.

For the past few hours Ellis had been talking more and more about his family and past, mostly about his dad. With each passing breath though, Nick could see Ellis was tired of holding on, but didn't want to go just yet.

"Where are coach and Ro?" Ellis asked, since the other two should weren't there at the moment.

"Doing something, they'll be back in here pretty soon," Nick said, pressing his lips to Ellis's softly to stop any further questions.

He didn't really have the heart to tell Ellis that they were taking turns digging a grave for him. One would be on the look out as the other tried to make the hole deep enough, they were not going to let the zombie's get him.

"Ah love yew Nick," Ellis said, when the gambler let his lips go.

"I love you too, Ellis," Nick said, taking the males hand in his.

Ro and coach came back in the room with the two others and took their turns talking to Ellis and saying their silent goodbyes to him.

"I want to go home," Ellis said, his voice barely there as his face started losing color.

"You'll see your family again someday,"

"My Pa sooner than any of them," He said, as his eyes slipped shut and his head drooped into the pillow, his chest moving up and down just a few more times before becoming still.

"Ellis," Nick said, the tears falling down his cheeks.

No words were spoken as they moved Ellis to the grave and placed him in and covered him. A small stone that coach had widdled down and engraved was placed at the head of it. As they got their gear and other things, they all said one final goodbye to their new guardian angel.

~*~*~*~Authors Note~*~*~*~

I feel like crying T_T

I had the idea for the last piece of this after listening to the song "What do you say" By Reba McEntire. Well on the way home from my cousins yesterday I was listening to this again and the rest kinda popped.

My mind I swear.

Valve owns, I just added some people in here.


End file.
